My cat is skinny and has firm lumps in her stomach. What should I do?

Hello, thank you for your question about Loki. The abnormal feeling to her abdomen could be a sign of many different things, or could be normal loops of intestines/other organs. Other possible causes for these symptoms could include enlargement of her liver/kidneys, etc or possibly a mass/tumor. I would recommend having Loki seen by a veterinarian so that they can perform an examination and palpate her abdomen. They can discuss the need for additional diagnostics such as abdominal x-rays or systemic bloodwork. Depending on the results of these diagnostics they can recommend other treatments. Hope this helps, good luck!

Any firm swelling in the belly should be looked at by your vet to confirm this is not an enlarged organ (kidney, liver, spleen, etc). I would have Buttercup examined in the next week or two to confirm and air on the side of caution. Often-times a cat will act completely normal if there is organ enlargement, until things progress, so we want to check this out for sure. I hope that things work out well for your pet Buttercup moving forward. Take care!

She sounds pretty sick, and I'm concerned about her symptoms, especially that she is losing weight really fast. This is not something that can be treated at home, she needs to see a vet immediately. Please take her into one now.

It’s hard to know exactly how to answer your question since the firmness can only be determined by a physical exam. In general cats do not have a firm abdomens. If she is nervous with you palpating her abdomen, she may tense up. It is also possible you are palpating firm stool in her colon. Certainly a physical exam by her veterinarian is your best route to get your questions answered and I recommend to have her examined. Since she is ingesting a lot of hair, you may try changing her diet to a food meant for hairball regulation. Royal Canin makes an excellent diet for cats who ingest a lot of hair. Daily brushing or even getting her furninated will also help to remove a lot of the hair and decrease ingestion. It’s possible her stomach is some discomfort related to the hair and that may cause a tense belly. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It's likely that Princess has hidden the kittens in a safe place rather than eating them. The big belly is probably due to intestinal parasites, which are common in stray cats. Princess will need a deworming treatment from the vet, as will her kittens. I would try to find the kittens, and then bring Princess and her kittens into the vet for an exam and deworming treatment. There is also a chance that her big belly is due to a medical illness, so I would recommend getting routine blood tests and a urinalysis done her on as well.

The area that you have circled in the photo is an area that we can feel mammary tissue (which males also have), fat or even lymph nodes. The most common thing we feel is fat which accumulates in the pouches on either side (which is likely what you are feeling in your female). Neutering or spaying a cat can decrease their metabolism and lead to weight gain, so it is common to find that they have more fat in that region after they are neutered or spayed. However, fat is normally quite soft and should not feel really firm, so I would recommend having your vet evaluate the area and make sure that it is normal. And presuming that it is, you can put Prince on a diet now, so he doesn't continue gaining weight! (Sorry Prince!) I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, it looks like the cat may be currently nursing. Other causes for enlarged mammary glands include benign mammary hyperplasia. It she is not nursing, then you can expect the mammary glands to decrease in size over the next 3-5 days. If this does not occur, then she should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Hope this helps